Mathematical game



Sept. 7, 1965 H. BUCKNER MATHEMATICAL GAME Filed July 29, 1963 FlG 2INVENTOR.

LOUIS H. BUCKNER ATTORNE S United States Patent 3,204,345 MATHEMATICALGAME Louis H. Buckner, 2203 E. 37th St., Cleveland, Ohio Filed July 29,1963, Set. No. 298,093 2 Claims. (Cl. 35-31) The present inventionrelates to a game and, more particularly, a mathematical game especiallydesigned to educate children under the pleasant environment of thecompetition of a game to learn the four mathematical functions ofaddition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

It is therefore principal object of the invention to provide an improvedgame.

Another object is to provide a mathematical game intended chiefly forthe pleasure and education of children.

A further object is to provide a compact mathematical game which isreadily portable and from which the game pieces cannot be easily lost asby children.

Other advantages will become apparent as the descrip tion proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the inventionconsists of the features hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and following disclosuredescribing in detail the invention, such drawing and disclosureillustrating, however, but one or more of the various ways in which theinvention may be practiced.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my game when assembled; and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the base game or paddle board of theassembly of FIGURE 1.

In general, the game equipment includes, in one form, a game boardhaving cavities or recesses and preferably provided with a transparentenclosure. The enclosure prevents separation of the dice from the gameboard, and the transparent nature of the enclosure enables one toobserve the fall of the dice. Preferably, the dice exceed in number thenumber of the cavities or recesses, so that upon shaking the board orotherwise agitating the dice with respect to the board and enclosure,the recesses are readily filled with dice.

The faces or sides of the dice have numerical indicia and in one or moreinstances one or more faces of each die may have one of the fourmathematical symbols indicating addition, subtraction, multiplication,or division. The dice are of the usual cubical shape.

In use, a player shakes the game board until each recess receives a die,thereby allowing the dice to assume What positions they will in therecesses. The values of the resulting exposed faces of the dice can thenbe reckoned, further altering the resulting reckoned figure by anymathematical symbol similarly exposed by one or more dice caught withina recess. For example, the lowest number of those appearing from thecaught and exposed dice may be added, subtracted, multiplied by, ordivided into the combined values of the other dice similarly caught inrecesses.

A variety of modifications are possible in scoring the game. Forexample, if the same number or indicia appears more than once after theshake or throw or in a given row of dice, extra value or points can bescored on that shake. A predetermined number of shakes or throws foreach player determines one complete game.

FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate a preferred embodiment in which a paddlegenerally indicated at a has a handle portion and a board portion 10b.The latter has a number of evenly spaced apart cavities or recesses of adiameter substantially to circumscribe a cubical die. The depth of acavity 11 is also such as to receive a die in an upstanding or evenposition. This position exposes one face or side of a die as shown inFIGURE 1, the exposed face constituting the score in that cavity.

End walls 12 and 13 are suitably secured to the game board portion 10bas by brads 14. Wall 13 has a slot 15 in order to straddle the throatportion of the paddle 10. The slot 15 also has a gate 16 through whichdice may be passed or removed as desired. A plug 17 normally closes thegate 16. A stiff wire 18 freely passes through a suitable passage whichextends widthwise of the wall 13 and also through a like passage in theplug 17 to fit into a hole 19 in the paddle 10 and thereby keep the plug17 in position. A clear transparent cover 20, preferably of a plasticsuch as polyethylene, encloses the area formed by the game board portion10b and walls 12 and 13. Suitable fasteners such as brads 21 secure thecover 20 to the walls and board portion.

The dice employed may be subject to many modifications. The dice mayhave different numbers on their faces like ordinary dice but in additionthere may be one or more of the four possible mathematical signs formultiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. The dice can, forexample, differ in color, each color having a special connotation as toits scoring. In the embodiment illustrated, the dice have numericalindicia on their faces, one half having even numbers and the other halfhaving odd numbers. In addition, one or more dice may have one or moresymbols of the mathematical functions which, as previously indicated,can be used to compute the score if such symbol is exposed in a cavity11.

In the embodiment shown, ten dice are used with five recesses orcavities on the game board. Five dice may be yellow and have evennumbers, with three dice having X on one face. Two of the dice of thisgroup have 0 on one face. The remaining five dice have odd numbers withthree dice having on one face. Two of the dice of this group have 1 on aface.

In order to illustrate one set of rules which may be employed with thepresent game, the following examples are presented. The numbers inparentheses indicate the relative order of exposed faces of the dice asin the cavities shown in FIGURE 2.

(9) (3) Obtaining any number three times in a row (3) may be called aSpan or Slam and increases (3) (4) the score by multiplying by three thesum of such numbers so scored. In this instance the score is 40(27+9+4). (3) (4) A Span with a multiplication mark means the (3) scoreas calculated in the manner just (X) (3) shown is multiplied by theremaining number. In this instance the score is 108 (27 x4). (X) (5 ASpan with two Xs means the multiplication (5) is carried out twice. Inthis instance the (=5) (X) score is 1125 (multiplying twice by 5). (10)(4) Obtaining a Span with the symbol means (4) the score obtained by aSpan is doubled. (4) In this instance the score is 82 (72+l0). (X) (6) ASpan with each of the symbols X and (6) means that the addition of thethree num- (6) (T) bers is multiplied by three, and from this issubtracted one of the numbers. In this instance the score is 48. (9) (1)If the symbol T appears without a Slam the (6) largest number isdeducted from the sum (5) (f) of the smallest three numbers. In thisinstance the score is 3.

(8) (8) If the same number is obtained in the four (3) corner holes, aGrand Slam is scored. In (8) (8) this case the sum of the four numbersis 3 multiplied by 4 twice. In this instance the score is 512.

sum of the 6s was multiplied by 5, that product by 6, and that productby 5. To the result 500 was added for a total sum of 5,000.

In addition to the foregoing, there may be additional rules such asshaking two -.-s means a Zero score for that shake. Obtaining three ofthese symbols puts the player out of the game. Various othermodifications are possible.

It will now be apparent that I have provided an improved game andespecially a mathematical game intended chiefly for the education ofchildren under the pleasant environment of friendly competition of agame.

The present game may be readily carried about and the game pieces arenot easily lost due to the enclosed structure of the game board.

Other forms embodying the features of the invention may be employed,change being made as regards the features herein disclosed, providedthose stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of suchfeatures be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A mathematical game including a game board provided with atransparent enclosure, a plurality of dice within said enclosure, saidgame board having a plurality of substantially uniformly spaced-apartrecesses fewer in number than the number of said dice, each recess beingof a size to receive only one die and in an upstanding position toexpose only one face of the die, said dice having numerical indicia andsymbols of mathematical functions on their faces, whereby the value ofthe exposed faces of dice caught in said recesses by shaking said gameboard, the order and spacial arrangement of numerical indicia of dice socaught, and the presence and absence of any of said symbols can be usedto determine the score of a player for that shake.

2. A mathematical game including a paddle having a handle portion and aboard portion provided with a transparent enclosure, a plurality of dicewithin said enclosure, said board portion having a plurality ofsubstantially uniformly-spaced apart circular recesses fewer in numberthan the number of said dice, each recess having a diametersubstantially to circumscribe a die, thereby readily to receive a die inupstanding position and expose one face of the die, said dice havingnumerical indicia on their faces, at least one die having on a face asymbol indicating multiplication, at least one die having on a face asymbol indicating subtraction, thereby the value of the exposed faces ofdice caught in said recesses by shaking said handle portion, the orderand spacial arrangement of like numerical indicia of dice so caught, andthe presence and absence of either of said symbols determines the scoreof a player for, that shake.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,302,805 5/19Jentz 35--3 1.4 2,296,001 9/42 Slattery 273145.4 2,639,1-53 5/53 Murray273--145.3

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner.

1. A MATHEMATICAL GAME INCLUDING A GAME BOARD PROVIDED WITH ATRANSPARENT ENCLOSURE, A PLURALITY OF DICE WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE, SAIDGAME BOARD HAVING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY SPACED-APARTRECESSES FEWER IN NUMBER THAN THE NUMBER OF SAID DICE, EACH RECESS BEINGOF A SIZE TO RECEIVE ONLY ONE DIE AND IN AN UPSTANDING POSITION TOEXPOSE ONLY ONE FACE OF THE DIE, SAID DIE HAVING NUMERICAL INDICIA ANDSYMBOLS OF MATHEMATICAL FUNCTIONS ON THEIR FACES, WHEREBY THE VALUE OFTHE EXPOSED FACES OF DICE CAUGHT IN SAID RECESSES BY SHAKING SAID GAMEBOARD, THE ORDER AND SPACIAL ARRANGEMENT OF NUMERICAL INDICIA OF DICE SOCAUGHT, AND THE PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF ANY OF SAID SYMBOLS CAN BE USEDTO DETERMINE THE SCORE OF A PLAYER FOR THAT SHAKE.